When you hear "Castlevania...

[MidnightRider]

I just went through it with Grant. Still needed to use save states. It's much easier, but you're still playing those same stages. Of course I had to ignore the route with the ship stage, and ended up with most irritating stage leading into a mummy/cyclops/leviathon boss fight. Probably the most irritating version of that battle too.

[Ziggy]

But did you play the NES or Famicom version?

[MidnightRider]

Famicom. That's why I said it was easier, but still those same stages.

[Ziggy]

So how much better was the Famicom version in your opinion? I know it's mostly just the music and sound effects that are different, but doesn't that make the entire game so much better? I thought so.

Yeah, you took the "hard" route if you went around the pirate ship. Some of those levels are pretty annoying. Especially the one with the really long vertical scroll with the falling blocks. I hate that part.

[MidnightRider]

Yeah, that was the stage.

I'm actually usually pretty oblivious to sounds(often I lower game volume and crank the music I like to listen to), but even I could tell the difference. Hard as the NES game is, the 10 lives code helps out quite a bit. Still, I'd give the edge to the Famicom game. I like the gremlins over the fleamen, Sypha's best spell comes up more often(though the extremely common fire spell takes off 3 bars of life on every boss each time it's used, even in the NES game), Grants little dagger becoming a throwing knife makes him much more useful(though there is a flaw in depending upon it), Alucard....can fly for a little longer....

Obviously the stories better too, but then what isn't better than "bad man make bad world of evil"

[Ziggy]

But yeah, also the starting point after dying against Dracula. That seriously ruins the NES version for me.

[JohnBaxterly]

No love for Castlevania 64? lol

Anyway, Metroidvania was definitely the first thing I thought of, specifically Dawn of Sorrow (my first Castlevania!).

[Ziggy]

Let's pretend Castlevania didn't exist up until Castlevania 64.... would it have been a liked game? It would probably be on Racket's Hidden Gems, if that.

[JohnBaxterly]

Let's pretend Castlevania didn't exist up until Castlevania 64

That's a freaky-ass scenario if I ever heard one

I'd say yes, but only in the way you mentioned: As an underrated, "Hidden Gem" for gamers. Like, people would only pay for it just to say "Look how unique and cool I am for owning Castlevania 64, guys! ACCEPT ME"

Still fun to run through every once in awhile, though. The dialogue is muy bien

[brunoafh]

Ugh. The thread was 12 pages going strong without mention of the biggest piece of shit Castlevania game ever released. Had to happen eventually I guess.